I thought about exploring this possibility when the offseason started, but dismissed it since it felt extraordinarily unlikely. But, I have seen many comments over the past few weeks that mentioned why the St. Louis Cardinals should attempt to sign free agent Bo Bichette. Let’s dig into why this might be a great idea, but it will never happen.

Let’s start with what kind of contract Bo Bichette is expected to get. In the most recent assessment I can find, ESPN estimated that Bo would end up with a 5-year $130 to $150 million dollar deal. I’ve seen some optimistic educated guesses say that the length of the contract could go out as far as 8 years with opt-outs. When you consider the salaries that the St. Louis Cardinals have already shed, Bo Bichette is attainable if you’re only considering money.

How would Bo Bichette fit in with what the Cardinals believe is their lineup for the future? It was mentioned that an infield with Bo Bichette at 2nd base, Masyn Winn at shortstop and JJ Wetherholt at 3rd would be a great core. I agree and I also like Bichette’s willingness to play other positions which gives St. Louis pliability as variables change in the future. There’s no arguing that his presence would also help with the St. Louis Cardinals attendance issues and he would also likely be a leader. That was the same argument I made for the Cardinals signing Max Scherzer to a one-year deal. That is also extremely unlikely to ever become reality.

What’s the problem with Bo Bichette signing with the St. Louis Cardinals? Let’s assume that he’s not like Giancarlo Stanton who refused to play for St. Louis back in 2017. There were reports that some free agents were reluctant to deal with John Mozeliak a few years ago, but he’s not the decision maker now. There are two things that need to happen. First, the St. Louis Cardinals need to be willing to offer the years and the money that Bichette wants. Second, Bo Bichette must be willing to commit to St. Louis for the prime years of his career which will clearly be in rebuild mode for at least the next 2 or 3 years if not the next 5.

There’s a third reason why I think the St. Louis Cardinals would not be wise to pursue a player like Bo Bichette right now. St. Louis Cardinals fans have learned the hard way that the most exciting prospects sometimes don’t work out like you’d hope. The list is long of players that many of us thought might be game-changers who did not live up to previous expectations. Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker are the three most recent who entered the major leagues with much hype, but substandard results. As of right now, the St. Louis Cardinals do not have a firm grasp on what kind of player JJ Wetherholt will be once he makes the major league team. Same can be said for Liam Doyle and the many young pitchers in the Cardinals farm system. All that being said, I do love Bichette’s versatility and willingness to adjust if the team needs it. That makes this third factor less of a concern.

Like you probably have also, I have been listening to Chaim Bloom’s words closely. I could easily be wrong, but I don’t think this is the kind of free agent that he’s looking for this year once he has rebuilt the minor leagues and gets a better grasp of what core talent we already have that he can build around. I think Bichette is the type of free agent Chaim Bloom would aggressively pursue in 2027 or 2028. Please don’t misunderstand. I love the idea of Bo Bichette as a St. Louis Cardinal. He’s a right-handed hitter with power. He seems like he has what it takes to be a team leader. I would love to be wrong about all of this. I am wrong about a lot of things. My wife has kept detailed records of this, but I don’t think I’m wrong about Bo Bichette never becoming a St. Louis Cardinals icon. I said it in the comments and I’ll repeat it here. If Chaim Bloom manages to convince Bo Bichette to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals, he’ll immediately be declared mayor of the city if not the governor of the state.